I20 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



second, " Some Remarks on the Habits of British Frogs and Toads." Mr 

 Cummings' observations and experiments were made with the Crested and 

 Palmated Newts. The paper deals with the " homing faculty " of these lowly 

 Vertebrates, and the conclusions arrived at are that the instinct is poorly 

 developed, and that they are aided in their search for water (for breeding 

 purposes) by their decided propensity to walk downhill. Mr Boulenger's 

 contribution deals with the migrations during the breeding season of the Common 

 Frog, Natterjack Toad, and Common Toad, and strongly recommends the last- 

 mentioned as the most suitable Batrachian upon which to found future 

 investigations. 



In a note by G. C. Champion (Ent. Mo. Mag., April 1912, p. 89) we learn that 

 Carabus hooker 7, a beetle described by Nodier in 182 1, from specimens obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Ben Lomond, has been ascertained by P. Lesne to be 

 undoubtedly C. nitens, Linn. 



In the continuation of J. R. le B. Tomlin and W. E. Sharpe's paper, " Notes on 

 the British Species of Longitarsus (a genus of Coleoptera)," which appears in the 

 April number of the Entomologist 's Monthly Magazine (pp. 73-76), a black variety of 

 L. suturellus, Duft, is recorded from Coatbridge (G. Brown), and L. senecionis, 

 Bris., is stated to have been taken as far north as Forres. 



In the Entomolgisi 's Record for March (p. 71), H. St J. K. Donisthorpe records 

 Catops montivagas, Heer, as a new British beetle. A single specimen was taken by 

 him at Nethy Bridge on 27th June last. 



At a meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society held on 

 20th November, 191 1 (vide Entomologist's Record, March 1912, p. 80), R. Tait 

 exhibited a fine series of Lepidoptera taken by him at Braemar, and including 

 Plusia interrogationis, Dasydia obfuscaria, Cienonympha tiphon, Anthrocera exulans, 

 Nemeophila plantaginis (with var. hospita) % Cidaria populata, C. immanata, Coremia 

 miaiitala, Larentia cccsiata, and Halia brnnneata. 



W. J. Lucas contributes to the April number of the Entomologist (pp. 1 14-1 17) 

 a paper on "British Orthoptera in 1911." Many Scottish records (too numerous 

 to quote) are given, while an interesting plate, showing the Mole Cricket 

 (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpd), with wings spread and closed, and the Grasshopper 

 Meconema thalassinum in the act of ovipositing. 



At a meeting of the Linnean Society of London, held on 21st March, Dr John 

 Mastin sent for exhibition under the microscope two slides of Polycistina, prepared 

 from a patch o r these organisms found floating off the coast of Whitby, Yorkshire, 

 in September last. The interest of the exhibition was enhanced by the fact that 

 the forms were identical with those usually found off the West Indies and 

 neighbouring coasts, and do not appear to have been previously observed in 

 British waters. A stormy sea and heavy wind had prevailed a few da)'S before 

 this remarkable discovery. 



